When Gourmet magazine opened shop in 1941, it addressed a small epicurean audience. In those days, fine dining was French, seafood specialties always seemed to include cream and sherry, and game made the meal--or so the magazine preached. The bill of fare has changed since then, and fine dining now includes dishes from the world's four corners, commanded by a broad, food-aware audience. Over the years, Gourmet has chronicled all this, changing to reflect a wider, more democratized food scene that has also, paradoxically, raised the bar on what's expected of the average, too-busy cook. The Gourmet Cookbook is the most comprehensive of the magazine's recipe anthologies--a mega-tome offering more than 1,000 formulas drawn from Gourmet since its birth.

The statistics are indeed impressive: more than 100 hors d'oeuvre recipes; an equal number of vegetable dishes; 200 desserts--21 chapters in all, touching all courses and including stops at breakfast and brunch specialties; breads and crackers; plus sauces, salsas, and preserves. Included are recipes from Gourmet contributors like James Beard and Jean-Georges Vongericten, and hundreds of sidebars like "Salad Greens Primer" and "Blind Baking," all useful and informative. There are classic dishes like onion soup gratiné, gefilte fish, corn fritters, and peanut butter cookies; "new classics" such as fried calamari and spaghetti alla carbonara; and the "modern," including oatmeal brûlée with macerated berries and grilled lobster with orange chipotle vinaigrette--"every recipe you'd ever want," says the text, something of an understatement.

Cooks should know, however, that this is not a basic cookbook, despite its Noah's ark of formulas. Rather, it's a Gourmet cookbook, which means that, notwithstanding some rudimentary recipes, the focus is on the stylishly up-to-date (which is not to deny the excellence of the formulas), resulting, often, in refinements. Thus its recipe for mac and cheese calls for dijon mustard and panko; its beef stroganoff requires cremini mushrooms; its grilled chicken calls for brining; and so on. Recipes can also run to over 450 words, and require unusual ingredients. (A list of sources is provided.) Of all its chapters, those for sweets are the most immediately attractive.

For all the praise, though, there's one major goof. The recipe titles are printed in a light butter-yellow color, making them almost illegible. For many readers, this will be a deal-breaker; others will find it merely annoying. Should you own the book? For dedicated cooks and foodies the answer will be, How can I not? --Arthur Boehm


From Booklist
The monthly magazine Gourmet played no small part in the birth of America's gastronomic renaissance of the late twentieth century. Through pictures and intelligent articles by noted food and travel writers, Gourmet made its readership aware of refined food traditions that made everyday American fare seem narrow. Editor Reichl and staff have painstakingly compacted Gourmet's vast reserve of recipes into an anthology of just 1,000 recipes sure to inspire cooks to get to work in their kitchens. The book's coverage of world cuisine is breathtaking, but it has a few omissions, most notably the cooking of sub-Saharan Africa and South America. An exhaustive index serves admirably to guide the reader through the recipes' complexities, analytically referencing recipes by major or unique ingredients. (One of its rare missteps is its conflation of Georgia the nation and Georgia the state.) Both recipes and their instructions are clearly laid out and easy to follow for the knowledgeable cook. A few line drawings illustrate special techniques, but recipes such as that for individual b'stillas could use illustration to give the cook an image of the finished product. The only serious triumph of aesthetics over practicality, the low-contrast pale yellow type of recipe titles burdens anyone with even minor vision impairment. A glossary and a directory of specialty food and equipment distributors round out the volume. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review
"If you could dream up the perfect cookbook, it might look something like this: easy recipes for days when you"re spent and just want something quick and filling; pull-out-all-the-stops recipes for when you want to spend an entire week working on Saturday night"s meal; instructions for tasks like cleaning mussels and making pastry dough; introductions and mini-essays explaining recipes" origins and the techniques they involve; and an overall panache and intelligence."


Book Description
For the past six decades, Gourmet magazine has shaped the tastes of America, publishing the best work of the foremost names in the world of food. To create this landmark cookbook, editor in chief and celebrated authority Ruth Reichl and her staff sifted through more than 50,000 recipes. Many were developed exclusively for Gourmet's test kitchens. Others came from renowned food writers and chefs and from the magazine's far-flung readers. Then the editors embarked on an extraordinary series of cook-offs to find the most unforgettable dishes, testing and retesting each one to ensure impeccable results. This collection, the only one of its kind, spans a vast range of cultures and cuisines. With it, you can go back to the time when Beef Wellington ruled the table or prepare something as contemporary as Crispy Artichoke "Flowers" with Salsa Verde. And whether you're cooking a simple supper for two or throwing a cocktail party for fifty, you'll make every dish with more flavor and more flair using The Gourmet Cookbook. It includes* 102 hors d'oeuvres, dips, chips, pâtés, and first courses* exciting vegetable dishes -- more than 120 in all -- using everything from artichokes to yuca* versatile recipes for every available kind of seafood, with many suggested substitutes* hundreds of simple but exceptional dinners* festive dishes for every occasion, including a perfect roast turkey with stuffings, the ultimate standing rib roast, and even a gorgeous (but easy) wedding cake* definitive versions of all the classics, from Chicken Kiev to Crème Brûlée and from Bouillabaisse to Pad Thai * more than 50 pastas and risottos, from quick everyday meals to party dishes* scores of soups, salads, breakfast dishes, and sandwiches, including the editors' all-time favorite pizza* a wealth of sauces and salsas, to transform ordinary meals into spectacular ones* more than 300 desserts: cookies, pies, tarts, pastries, buckles, crumbles, ice creams, puddings, mousses, and cakes galore, including cheesecakes and the nine best chocolate cake recipes Gourmet has ever published With engaging introductions to each chapter by Ruth Reichl, entertaining headnotes, indispensable information about ingredients and techniques, hundreds of tips from Gourmet's test kitchens, and an extensive glossary, The Gourmet Cookbook is the essential kitchen companion for anyone who wants one-of-a-kind recipes and spectacular results every time.


Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
La Brea Tar Pit Chicken WingsIt"s easy to understand why chicken wings are so popular(as if all that crisp skin weren"t enough of a reason).Economical and sold in just about every market,they capture the essence of relaxed entertaining: it"shard to stand on ceremony while eating with yourfingers. Anyone who has ever visited the La Brea tarpits in Los Angeles will understand how this great tastinghors d"oeuvre got its name. The recipe came tous from reader Metta Miller, from Boston, and it"s astaff favorite. 4 pounds chicken wings, split at joint and wing tips discarded1 cup soy sauce1/2 cup dry red wine1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar1/4 teaspoon ground gingerPut a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to400°F.Arrange wings in one layer in a large roasting pan.Combine remaining ingredients in a small saucepanand heat over moderately low heat, stirring, untilsugar is dissolved. Pour evenly over wings.Bake for 45 minutes. Turn wings over and bakeuntil sauce is thick and sticky, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10minutes more. Transfer wings to a platter.MinestroneServes 6 to 8 as a main course (makes about 14 cups)Active time: 1 hour Start to finish : 2 3/4 hours plus soaking time for beans (and additional time if making stock)Real minestrone, with pancetta, Parmigiano-Reggiano,and kale, is one of the best vegetable soups on theplanet. The secret is the kale, which grounds the soupand gives it a sturdy underpinning. If you omit it, youwill have a perfectly nice vegetable soup, but it won"t beminestrone. Note that there"s no need to add pasta tostretch the soup.We"re particularly partial to the lacinato variety of kale(see Glossary). Be aware that lacinato has more aliasesthan a gangster on the lam. It can be called Tuscan kale,cavolo nero ("black cabbage"), black kale, or dinosaurkale. Its .avor is as deep as the color of its green-blackleaves, with a sweetness reminiscent of artichokes.1/2 pound (1 1/4 cups) dried white beans, such as great northern, picked over and rinsed1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 pound boiling potatoes1/3 cup olive oil1/4 pound pancetta or lean bacon (4 slices),chopped1 large onion, chopped1 large carrot, cut into 1/2-inch cubes1 celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch cubes3 garlic cloves, finely chopped2 zucchini (1 pound total), cut into 1/2-inch cubes1/4 pound green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces4 cups shredded green cabbage, preferably savoy (3/4 pound)1/2 pound kale, stems and tough center ribs discarded and leaves chopped (6 cups)1 (28- to 32-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained well and coarsely chopped4 1/2 cups (36 ounces) chicken stock or store-bought lowsodium brothFreshly ground black pepperaccompaniment : 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 2 ounces)Soak beans in cold water to cover by 2 inches, refrigerated,for at least 8 hours (or see page 267 forquick-soaking procedure); drain.Transfer beans to a 3-quart heavy saucepan, addcold water to cover by 2 inches, and bring to a boil.Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, adding morewater if necessary to keep beans barely covered, untiltender, about 50 minutes. Add salt and simmer for 5minutes more. Remove from heat and let beansstand, uncovered.Peel potatoes and cut into I-inch dice; put in abowl of cold water.Heat oil in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderateheat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring, until crisp andpale golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring,until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add carrot, celery,and garlic and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Drain potatoeswell, add to pot, along with zucchini and greenbeans, and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add cabbageand kale and cook, stirring, until cabbage is wilted,about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and stock and bring toa simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour.Drain beans, reserving liquid. Purée half of beanswith 1 cup reserved liquid in a blender or food processor(use caution). Stir into soup, along with remainingdrained beans and reserved liquid. Simmer soup, uncovered,for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.Serve soup with cheese.c o o k " s n o t eThe soup can be made up to 3 days ahead. Coolcompletely, uncovered, then refrigerate, covered.Thinwith water, if desired, when reheating.Panfried Red Snapper with Chipotle ButterServes 4Active time : 15 minutes Start to finish : 15 minutesChefs love red snapper for its inherent drama. Thefillets are often served skin side up because the skin is sobeautiful. The sweet, mild flavor of the fish contrastswith the smoky heat of canned chipotle chiles in atomatoey adobo sauce. If you can"t find red snapper, youcan substitute grouper, yelloweye rockfish, or onaga(Hawaiian red snapper), as long as the fillets are thesame size and thickness, preferably with skin on. 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened1/2–1 tablespoon finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo (to taste; see Glossary) plus 2 teaspoons sauce from can1/2 teaspoon salt1/3 cup all-purpose flour4 (6-ounce) red snapper fillets with skinFreshly ground black pepperAbout 3 tablespoons vegetable oilaccompaniment : lime wedgesMash together butter, chipotles, adobo sauce, andsalt in a small bowl with a fork until blended.Spread flour on a plate. Pat fish dry and cut eachfillet crosswise in half. Season with salt and pepper.Dredge fish in flour and shake off excess.Heat 1 ½ tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skilletover moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.Add 2 fillets, skin side up, and panfry, turningonce, until browned and just cooked through, 4 to 6minutes. With a slotted spatula, transfer to platesand loosely cover to keep warm. Add oil to skillet asneeded, heat until very hot, and cook remaining 2 filletsin same manner. Top fish with dollops of chipotlebutter and serve with lime wedges.Copyright © 2004 by Condé Nast Publications. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Over the past six decades, Gourmet magazine has published more than 60,000 recipes. From those recipes, editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl and her staff selected the best 1,200. Then, after reworking, retesting, and retasting, they present these recipes here, thus creating a landmark culinary reference with unparalleled variety. The 1,152-page illustrated cookbook features a sewn binding with two bound-in ribbons. It's a must-have for any ture food lover.

SYNOPSIS

For beginners and seasoned cooks alike, The Gourmet Cookbook is an eloquent, essential companion in the kitchen - one that will take its place among the classic cookbooks of our generation. Under the discerning eye of the celebrated authority Ruth Reichl, the editors of America's premier cooking magazine sifted through more than 60,000 recipes published over the past six decades. Testing, tasting, and cross-testing to ensure that every cook achieves the same superb results, they selected more than 1000 recipes. The Gourmet Cookbook is encyclopedic but eminently accessible. With it, cooks can go back to the days when Beef Wellington ruled the table or prepare something as contemporary as Crispy Artichoke "Flowers" with Salsa Verde. Those in a hurry who want simple dinners with flavor and flair will find hundreds of possibilities, including Seared Salmon with Balsamic Glaze and Skirt Steak Fajitas with Lime and Black Pepper. At the same time, The Gourmet Cookbook is the perfect volume for entertaining, full of adventurous recipes for special occasions: Blini with Three Caviars, Fragrant Crispy Duck, and Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake. Throughout the book you'll find hundreds of valuable tips from Gourmet's eight test kitchens. Illustrated instructions explain everything from how to cut up a chicken to how to shuck an oyster.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

If you could dream up the perfect cookbook, it might look something like this: easy recipes for days when you're spent and just want something quick and filling; pull-out-all-the-stops recipes for when you want to spend an entire week working on Saturday night's meal; instructions for tasks like cleaning mussels and making pastry dough; introductions and mini-essays explaining recipes' origins and the techniques they involve; and an overall panache and intelligence. Gourmet magazine's editors have achieved such a feat with this sensational doorstopper of a cookbook, a sort of sophisticated cousin to the hallowed Joy of Cooking, and a savvy, cosmopolitan aunt to Mark Bittman's essential How to Cook Everything. Reichl, the magazine's editor-in-chief and the author of Comfort Me With Apples and other books, took on a monstrous task in creating the book, and the result is an assortment of recipes for practically everything you'd ever want to make. She and her colleagues including Gourmet executive food editor Zanne Stewart and executive editor John Willoughby ransacked 60 years' worth of back issues to come up with over 1,200 recipes (down from 50,000, says Reichl in her introduction) that encompass the best of American cuisine and by American we mean everything that's cooked in America, from burgers to baklava. Recipes come from chefs, food authorities like Marcella Hazan and Madhur Jaffrey, and readers. Reichl and her team tested and retested every one of them. Experienced and novice home cooks will find recipes for memorable versions of dishes they've heard about but never attempted: concoctions like Coq au Vin, Beef Wellington, Coulibiac, Chop Suey, Bananas Foster, and Black Forest Cake. They'll also come across intriguing alternatives, like Herbed Lima Bean Hummus, Tandoori Shrimp and Mango Salad, Mortadella- and Truffle-Stuffed Pork Loin with Rosemary Roast Potatoes, and Dark Chocolate-Caramel Ice Cream Sandwiches. Even basics get their due, in fabulous treatments of Pizza Margherita, Greek Salad, Pasta with Tomato and Basil, and Sugar Cookies. Every chapter begins with an overview of its subject; each recipe has an introduction; and many dishes feature helpful "cook's notes," which give tips for food preparation, technique and storage. Despite the book's heft (it's about as big as a Manhattan phone book, with two bound-in ribbons), and even though it contains no photographs, readers may find themselves bringing it to bed with them at night. They'll lazily consider making Currant Tea Scones when they wake up the next morning, or read up on how to make perfect chocolate cigarettes and if sugarplum fairies don't visit them in their dreams, perhaps Reichl and her posse of food angels will. 300 line drawings. 250,000 first printing. (On sale Sept. 28) Forecast: Houghton Mifflin is determined to make the book's release a publishing event, and rightly so. The house plans a $1,000,000 marketing campaign, national appearances by Reichl (kicking off with a September 28 Today Show appearance), national TV appearances by Stewart, a national radio drive-time tour with Willoughby, a 20-city author tour, and print ads in major newspapers and magazines. A video on the making of the cookbook will be available for use in bookstores. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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